Food Monitoring Note - Radioactivity and its Measurements in Foodstuffs
This note gives examples of the types of radiation found in foodstuffs, the possible sources of contamination and how to be prepared to deal with them.
Measurement of Radionuclides in Food and the Environment
This food monitoring guide was published by the IAEA in 1989 in the aftermath of Chernobyl. It is sadly, out of print. The guide provides a wealth of information regarding methods, sample preparation and so on. While the equipment shown is dated the other information is very useful.
Benefits of Using Super Large Germanium Gamma Ray Detectors for the Quantitative Determination of Environmental Radionuclides
An experimental comparison of a number of large and super-large HPGe gamma-ray spectrometers demonstrates that, from the standpoint of either sample throughput or detection limit, the largest detectors provide a benefit greater than what might be expected from just their higher efficiency. At a given MDA — one 90% efficiency detector can count as many samples as four 30% efficiency detectors. Alternatively, one 90% detector, while processing the same number of samples as three 30% detectors, can achieve a significantly lower MDA on each sample. These advantages are tangible ones for the environmental spectroscopist, because larger detectors cost less per percent efficiency than smaller detectors.